Adina cordifolia, Kadam, Haldina seeds

Adina cordifolia seeds

Adina cordifolia is also known under the synonym Haldina cordifolia. The natives call the plant that belongs to the family of the Rubiaceae Kadam or Haldu. Adina cordifolia is native to South Asia and can get up to 30 m high. The yellowish wood is used to build canoes and furniture. The leaves of the Kadam are deeply green, sometimes with a pinkish touch. The heart shaped leaves can get 25 cm long. Especially the young leaves are pubescent. Adina cordifolia is deciduous. The flowers are yellow and inconsiderable small. However they flower synchronous in flower balls. Those flower balls get 3 cm in diameter and look extraordinary beautiful. They resemble fluffy tennis balls. The flower balls have long flower stalks. The fruits are black, round and small. They reach just 1,2 cm in diameter. They are often washed down from the tree by the heavy monsoon rains in Asia. Half a kilo of fruit contains 300.000 seeds. They are very light and get distributed by the wind. The seeds can be separated in the water from the pulp. They sink down while the rest of the fruit swims on the surface.

Many parts of Adina cordifolia are used in medicine. The latex of Kadam is used against tooth ache. The freshly grounded bark is used against stomach ache. Mixed with brown sugar this is a quite delicious medicine. Leaves and bark are used in addition against cough, head ache and fever. Outside the body the body the leaves can be used to reduce swellings. Adina cordifolia needs a sunny place. The tree tolerates soil with a basic pH. However Kadam is not winter hardy. Adina cordifolia grows very slow in the first year, in the second year it growth faster. Seeds that are stored for about a year before sowing germinate better. Germination starts mostly after 3 to 6 weeks.